Jackson State University proposes to establish a Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) Program to further develop minority students and faculty in the School of Science and Technology to enter into biomedical research careers. The proposed program is composed of three developmental components: undergraduate student development, graduate student development, and faculty development. Through the activities outlined herein, we seek to increase the number of graduates entering graduate and professional school from 18 percent to 27 percent by 2007. The program will involve undergraduate, masters and Ph.D. students in activities appropriate to their level. Our program design was chosen to provide a solid science curriculum and a program of intensive co-curricular activities which will include: student research opportunities with Support for Continuous Research Excellence faculty conducting biomedically-related research; participation in workshops, summer internships, and mini-courses; effective mentoring, academic and career advisement; direct interaction of RISE Scholars and Fellows with scientific investigators at Jackson State, research laboratories at other affiliated universities, and national laboratories; participation in student intervention and enrichment activities; participation in a specific biomedical sciences seminar series. The program is designed for students to develop competencies in mathematics, the sciences, and the English language to support high academic achievement in challenging undergraduate and graduate programs in the natural sciences. Student development and training activities involve collaboration between the six departments in the School of Science and Technology. All activities will be seamlessly integrated through student-faculty interactions in the classroom and research laboratories to ensure participants are well-prepared to enter Ph.D. Programs in the biomedical sciences.